Parkar Digital proudly sponsored Voice of Blockchain, the largest blockchain event in Chicago, held on August 24-25, 2018 at Navy Pier. The event, organized by Chicago Blockchain Project and title-sponsored by 1871 Chicago and Democracy Earth, aimed to position Chicago as a global leader in the emerging field of blockchain technology.

With Parkar’s support, the Voice of Blockchain brought together a diverse range of industry experts, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts to foster collaboration and explore the potential of blockchain. The event attracted an impressive attendance of over 1600 individuals, who gathered at the expansive Festival Hall A in Navy Pier.

The speaker lineup featured renowned figures such as Matt Roszak of Bloq, Jimmy Song of Blockchain Capital LLC, Will Munsil of Sweetbridge, Rumi Morales of Outlier Ventures, and Edmund Moy, the 38th Director of the United States Mint. Their insights and expertise provided valuable perspectives on the future of blockchain technology and its impact on various industries.

Overall, the Voice of Blockchain event showcased Chicago’s position as a vibrant hub for blockchain innovation and highlighted the city’s potential to lead the way in this transformative technology. Parkar Digital is proud to have been part of this influential event, furthering its mission to drive technological advancements and foster innovation in the Chicago community.

• Why Chicago and why blockchain: The “Why Chicago” panel was yet another display of the nagging insecurity that led the city to be labeled as “the second city” in the first place. “We believe Chicago can be the go-to place for blockchain technology and expertise, and we couldn’t be more excited to support this event for our community and the tech industry at large,” Betsy Ziegler, CEO at 1871 and partner to the Voice of Blockchain event, said in a press release.
• Technology needs to be ready to support blockchain: Terry Xing, CTO of Upower, said blockchain is still in its early stage and we must make sure the bottom layer of technology can support the upper layer. Currently, “the lower layer of the structure can’t support a mass application” of blockchain, he said.
• Scaling Is definitely a major concern, but people aren’t quite sure what to do about it: This was a frequent discussed problem for the future of blockchain, and no one seems to have a good way of fixing it. A few companies presented their ideas and development, but even they tended to admit that they were still falling short of where things need to be. There were numerous panels focusing specifically on scaling issues, with perhaps one of the most attended panels being the debate between Nano and the Bitcoin Cowboy. Regardless, it is an issue being actively worked on, and hopefully someone has the solution soon.
• Data silos in blockchain: Monali Shah from HERE IoT City Solutions said that, one of the priorities is to break down the data silos, in this way, people will not be separated and will be able to share data and produce useful information. In a smart city, people can better respond and make better decision to improve transport and road safety with open data strategy. Distributive ledger technology provides a way to increase the quality to help the flow of data, and the flexibility of the system by a better traceability, hence facilitate the ecosystem of data sharing.
• The future of smart cities and blockchain: Jerry Quandt, Executive Director of Illinois Autonomous Vehicle Association, said that smart cities are automatic not only to transfer people but also to transfer individual’s need of services, hence the connectivity, safety and security of your information are of top importance. Distributive ledger technology can ensure transparence and usability of data, help to create true, and dynamic smart cities, and to find different approaches to identify values.